korrents

korrents · piece

The Logic of Strategy Arguments

Roger Martin · 14 Sept 2026

The piece opens with

Change does not mean longstanding rules stop working; anyone claiming they have must give a logical argument why.

Their wordsThe important lesson here is that change doesn’t mean that longstanding rules stop working. Of course, that outcome is possible. But to be at all convincing, you must make a logical argument as to why the rules would stop working.

Read the piece on rogerlmartin.substack.com ↗

4 korrents from this piece ↓

Roger Martin did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

  1. Our reading

    Change does not mean longstanding rules stop working; anyone claiming they have must give a logical argument why.

    Their wordsThe important lesson here is that change doesn’t mean that longstanding rules stop working. Of course, that outcome is possible. But to be at all convincing, you must make a logical argument as to why the rules would stop working.

  2. Our reading

    Intangible assets are arguably harder to replicate than tangible ones.

    Their wordsIn fact, it is readily arguable that intangible assets are harder to replicate than tangible ones.

  3. Our reading

    Practitioners must think for themselves, because business school professors and even Harvard Business Review cannot be counted on for sound arguments.

    Their wordsThe key practitioner insight here is that you need to think for yourself. You simply cannot count on business school professors or even Harvard Business Review to present logically sound or empirically supported arguments.

  4. Our reading

    An argument that comes with neither logic nor data should be judged to have failed, as mere arm waving.

    Their wordsWhen there is neither logic presented, nor data attached, your audit should conclude the argument to have failed and is mere arm waving - which you should avoid like the plague.

Keep reading

The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.